Centering device and emergency coupler support



Feb.a 7, 1928,

G. G. GILPIIN CENTERING DEVICE AND EIVIERGEIQGY7 COUPLER SUPPORT Filed May 20, 1922 static and quiescent stresses.

Fatented Feb. 7, i928.

UNlTED STATES LGBS@ PATENT OFFICE.

GARTH ,G. GILPIN, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY; OIE' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CENTERING DEVICE ANI) EMERGENCY COTE-LER SUTPORT.

Application filed May' 20,

This invention relates to improvements in draft gear for railway cars and more particularly to an improved centering device and emergency coupler support.

The ends of freight cars are designed to act as end girders or trusses to resist the However, in certain classes of equipment, such as automobile cars with end doors, drop end gondola cars and flat cars it is necessary to resist these stresses by having the end sill of sufiicient strength, independent of the end of the car.

It is also desirable in the classes of equipment mentioned to have the licor as low as possible for loading 'and unloading and as the lieioht of the coupler from the rail is established by the American Railroad Association as 341/2 it is necessary in such equipment to sever or partially cut away the` end sill at the center to permit the application of the coupler and the attached draft rig- Ofin o 1% has been found advantageous, therefore, to have the carry iron cast integral with the striking casting so as to obtain a four sided member which reinforces the end sill at the point where it is severed, and consequently weakened, as mentioned above.

It has been foundy desirable to support the coupler by what has been termed a swing motion carrier or some other means of coupler centering device so as to keep the coupler in the center of the car. This assures a proper coupling in service and transmits the blow of the impact directly through the coupler shank and to the draft gear without setting up lateral stresses in the coupler head or the coupler shank with its consequent damage to the couplerand parts. y

The usual type of striking casting used with swing motion carrier consists of a casting in the form of a yoke or inverted U with the two sides and top secured to the adjacent parts of the end sill and so arranged that the carrier swings between these two parts, the lower part of the yoke being open so that the coupler can be removed. With such a yoke construction it is difiicult to adequately tie the draft sil/ls together to prevent their spreading and to cause them te resist lateral thrusts in unison. The swinging carrier permits a harder yside blow and has more tendencyv to spread the sills,

1922. Serial No. 562,505.

therefore, an integral tie at the bottom becomes essential.

The object of this invention is in the arrangement and combination of parts so as to obtain the advantages of the four sided Striking casting described and also the swing motion carrier described without reducing the efficiency of either.

Rigid and swing motion carrier arevgenerally attached tothe car by means of bolts having nuts and cotters or by pins, which parts frequently become loose and lost, thereby permitting the carrier to fall causing the coupler to fall upon the track and frequently derailing the cars. It must be remembered that the rear end of the coupler is secured to the draft gear so that the coupler cannot merely fall upon the track and be run over by the car.

If the lower horizontal portion of the combined (integral) striking casting andcoupler support fails the coupler is not permitted to fall because it is supported by the swing motion coupler support.

If any of the coupler supporting, parts fail in my arrangement the coupler does not fall but is supported by thelower portion of the four sided striking casting. The saidlower portion may be termed an emergency or auxiliary carry iron, or coupler support. The swing motion carrier moves between the two walls of the emergency coupler support,

whose upper surfaces are nearly on a level with the supporting surface of the swing motion carry iron. Therefore, in the event of a breaking of any member of the centering device the coupler is only lowered a fraction of an inch before it rests upon the emergency coupler support. This is advantageous because the coupler isstill within the vertical 'limits prescribed by the inter- `change rules of they American Railroad Association and the car will be allowed to move to its destination without delayfor repairs or transfer of the lading.

The lower horizontal portion of this striking casting is formed in a U section which gives it great compressive as well as ten- Vsional strength and also the upstanding legs that minor detail changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a plan view on the right half of the center line and on the left half a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 2 of my invention applied to a freight car.

Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a section on line 3'-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a section on line 4-4.of Fig. 2. y

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of link.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of carrier.

In the drawings 1 is the vertical portion, 2 the-horizontal portion of the end `.sill respectively, and 3, 4, and 5 are the top, side and bottom portions of the front wall of the striking casting or endframe member forming a fbur sided striking casting which surrounds the aperture for the car coupler 6. Rearwardly extending walls 7 and 8 stilen the casting and form top and 'side buiing surfaces for the coupler and .connect the front and rear walls of the member. f lHorizntal wall 9 stilens the casting and reinforces-'portion 2 of the end sill, while rear wall 10 and its extension 11 reinforce the end sill by transmitting end sill stresses from one portion of the end sill to the other.

` through the top portion of the strikingl casting formed by walls 3, 8 and 9 and through the bottom portion formed by walls 5, 12 and 13. 1t .will be noted that both the bottom and top portions of the striking casting are capable of resisting either compression or tension, such members are strut-ties, thus the casting rigidifies and stifens this portion of the end of the car.

The coupler 6v rests upon carrier 14 positioned between 'the front 'and rear' walls of the end frame member for protection. The carrier is swingingly supported at its ends by trunnion links 15 resting in journal seats 16 cast integral with the striking casting. The coupler bearing surface of the carrier 14 is positioned above the upper part of walls 5 and 13 of the emergency coupler support so that normally the coupler 1s out of contactwith walls 5 and 13 and is consequently free to freely move laterally of the car. However, in the preferred form, clearance would be allowed between the bottom of carrier 14 and the wall 12 to allow the coupler to rest upon wall 5 or 13 in case of a failure of the carrier 14- or either of its supporting members.

Projections 17 keep the coupler in the center of the carrier 14. The carrier may swing freely laterally of the car but is restrained from moving longitudinally of the car by the walls 5 and li-.which are adjacent he-sides of the carrierV with suiiicient roo for clearance. Drain'holes 18 are provided.

noname The interchange rules .of the American Railway Association prescribe a limited permissible vertical movement ofl a car coupler so that it will adjust itself tothe unevenness of the 'track and to the various heights of the couplers from the rail. 'This verticalclearance is shown in Fig. 2. The various parts of my device are so positioned and dimensioned that the links 15 cannoty be removed from their bearings 1.6 in the frame memberor from their bearings in the ycarrier 14 while the coupler is in its normal position on the carrier. by making the vertical depth of the recessed bearings 16 in the frame member and the vertical depth ofthe recessed bearings in This is accomplished the carrier greater than the vertical distance between the coupler and theframe member.

After the coupler is removed it may be desirable to remove the carrier without removing either of the links from the frame member. This vis accomplished by having the vertical clearance above the upper part 'of the carrier and the frame member greater than the vertical depth of the recessed bearings in the carrier. t

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated the links 15 have the same T-head construction on each end and are symmetri- 1. The combination, in a railway car, of

a coupler, a 4striking casting having an emergency coupler support cast integral therewith, and an inde endent carrier supported by swinging lin s to the side walls of said striking casting.

2. As an article of manufacture for a railway car, a striking casting having an emergency coupler support cast integral therewith, and arranged to accommodate swing motion links for a separate carrier.

3. The combination, in a railway car, of a coupler, a striking cast-ing having an emergency coupler support cast. integral therewith, and an independent coupler carrier supported by swinging links to the Side walls of the striking casting' having its Vcoupler bearing surface positioned above;-

said emergency support.

`-4. The combination, ina railway car, o'f

a car coupler, an end frame member restricty ing the vupward movement of said coupler, a coupler carrier swingingly suspended from said frame member by links, each link provided lwith a T-head at each end engaging bearings in said carrier and frame member respectively, said T-heads and bearings so positioned and dimensioned that the links cannot be .removed before the coupler is removed.

5. The combination, in -a railway car, of a coupler, a striking casting having an emergency coupler support cast integral therewith, and a coupler carrier supported by swinging links to the side walls ot the striking casting, said support comprising means to restrict the movement of said carrier longitudinally of the car.

t3. The combination, in a railway car, of a coupler, a striking casting having an emergency coupler support cast integral therewith, and a coupler carrier supported by swinging links to the side walls of the striking casting, said support comprising two parallel walls between which .the carrier freely moves laterally of the car but is restricted in its movement longitudinally of the car.

7. The combination, in a railway car, of a car coupler, a Amember restricting the upward movement of Said coupler, a coupler carrier having spaced apart recessed bearings in the lower part of each end, and links swingingly' suspending said `carrier from the car provided with T-heads at their lower ends to engage said bearings, the vertical depth of said recessed bearings being greater than the possible upward movement oi' said coupler when the device and coupler are assembled.`

8. The combination, in a railway car, of a coupler, an end frame member, a coupler carrier swingingly suspended from said trame member, by links, each link provided with a T-head at each end engaging bearings in said carrier and frame member respectively, saidT-heads and bearings so positioned and dimensioned that the links cannot be removed before the coupler is removed.

9. An article of manufacture, a suspension link for car coupler carriers having a T-head at each end, said link being symmetrical with respect to center lines across its width and length.

10. The combination, in a railway car, of a coupler, an end frame member restricting the upward movement of said coupler, a coupler carrier swingingly suspended from said frame member by links, each link provided with a T head at each end, engaging bearings in said carrier and frame member respectively, said T heads and bearings so positioned and dimensioned that neither of said links can be removed before the coupler is removed.

11. In a railway car, the combination of an end sill, two draft'sills, an end frame member comprising a vertical rear wall secured to all of said sills and having an aperture for a coupler, a vertical front wall integrally connected to said rear vwall and having an aperture for a coupler, a coupler carrier movably positioned between said walls, and means to keep the carrier in the longitudinal center of the car, comprising links swingingly suspending the opposite ends of said carrier to said frame member.

12. The combination in a railway car of a coupler, a striking casting having an emergency couplersupport cast integral therewith, and an independent carrier supported by swinging links to said striking casting.

13. The combination in a railway car of a coupler, a striking casting having an lemergency coupler support cast integral therewith, and an independent coupler carrier supported by swinging links to said striking casting having its coupler bearing surface positioned above said emergency support.

14. The combination in a railway car, ot' a coupler, a striking casting having an emergency coupler support cast integral therewith, and a coupler carrier supported by swinging links to said striking casting, said support comprising means to restrict the movement of said carrier longitudinally ot' the car.

15. The combination in a railway car, of a coupler, a striking casting having an emergency coupler support cast integral therewith, and a coupler carrier supported by swinging links to said striking casting, saidsupport comprising two parallel walls between which the carrier freely moves laterally of the car but is restricted in its movement longitudinally of the car.l

' 16. In combination with a railway car and a coupler having a shank, a carrier for the coupler shank, swinging links suspending the carrier, and a rigid confining structure for the coupler shank comprising a top member, spaced side members and a member extending between the lower ends of the side members and positioned to provide an emergency support for the carrier and coupler shank.

17.' The combination in `a railway car of a coupler,V a striker having an emergency coupler support and ari independent carrier supported by swinging links to said striker.

18. A coupler centering device comprising a striker plate presenting spaced.v side frames, a coupler carrier movable between said side frames, hooks supported adjacent said side frames, links suspended from said Vhooks 4and engaging said carrier to provide a swinging suspension means therefor and an emergencycoupler support extending be. tween the side frames and positioned to sustain said carrier upon failure of the links.

19. The combination in a railway car; a

car part, a' carrier supported by swingable links to said car part, and an emergency carrier support integral with the car part.

2O.`Tl1e'co1nbination in a railway car; a car part, a carrier supported by swingahle links to Suid cur part, an emergency carrier support integral with the car part, and an emergency coupler support integral with the cnr purl'.

21. The combination in a railway car; a car part, a carrier supported by swingable links to said cnr part, an emergency carrier Support integra] with the car part, and an emergency coupler support integral with the car part so positioned when the carrier is supported by its emergency support the' coupler is supported by its emergency support independently of the carrier.

22. An article of manufacture for-a railway car; a. striking casting having :memergency carrier support cast integral therewith and arranged to accommodate swing` motion links for a swingahle carrier.

GARTH G. GLPIN. 

